Placed Jeremy Mincey on did not report to training camp list and faces fines for each day missed.

Training camp usually churns the bottom half of the roster in order to deal with injury and other issues. Let’s hope the impact players make it through camp without any significant setbacks.

Let’s go Dallas!

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124540Cowboys Camp Battle What Ifshttp://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12451
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12451#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 04:23:59 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12451Thursday will mark the start of training camp for the Cowboys and so begins the quest for more success in 2015. At the end of the Green Bay game, there was an immense sense of disappointment, but there was a feeling that this team has turned the corner. This team showed some serious true grit with a ton of adversity, yet we answered the call every week.

I remember as a kid, the 1991 Cowboys lost to the Lions in the playoffs and I cried. My Dad comforted me saying the team was improving and the next year would be the year. My Dad was correct, we won it all in 1992, and it’s all I ever wanted the Cowboys to do every year since. I love my Cowboys to death, and I feel this year will be our year, it’s a gut feeling I haven’t felt in a long time.

That being said I feel the Cowboys are going to be in the zone and kick some ass for a lack of better words. Each season we lose and gain players, so this camp will provide us with plenty of headlines I’m sure.

Let’s go over what I’m going to be looking for this camp and some what if scenarios.

–Linebackers

I’m not sure there’s another group that has so many questions going into camp. We have plenty of bodies from new additions in free agency to drafted rookies. For me, I’m interested in seeing where the Cowboys lineup Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens, both have position flex, so what combo will Eberflus look at? And will we see Jasper Brinkley in the mix or the rookie Damien Wilson. It’ll be something to watch.

What if Sean Lee gets hurt again? If Lee can’t make it through camp, then he’s done, it’ll be time to move on. Linebacker cannot take another hit with anyone else missing time from injury or suspension.

–Running Backs

This is Jospeh Randle’s job to lose. He’s the Cowboys most complete back, he’ll juke you out of your shoes and hit the afterburners. I like that Randle has pass catching ability, something Murray had and utilized quite well. Linehan, may have a better option with Randle this year. It’ll be all about how Randle handles himself off the field, plain and simple. If he can knock it out on and off the field, we’re in good shape. I’m not discounting McFadden either, but I have to see if he can stay healthy above anything else.

What if Randle and McFadden don’t look good in camp? If neither guy looks good, then I would expect the Cowboys to make a trade for a mid-tier RB from another team. Same would apply if we take on an injury to either player.

–Left Guard

The offensive line is set, but the battle everyone will be watching is between Ronald Leary and La’el Collins. Can Collins unseat the tough veteran? I think the Cowboys love that they have some nice depth on the offensive line, so in the end we could see Collins redshirt this year, we’ll see.

What if Collins out plays Leary and looks ready to start? If Collins can unseat Leary, I would image the trade talks would re-ignite as Leary would be a coveted commodity on the trade market.

–Defensive Backs

Our newly minted 1st round pick Byron Jones will be the one I want to see. How will Jones do against the an All-pro like Dez Bryant? And where will we see Jones play most of his snaps? Outside of the rookie, we need to find out who is going to man the nickel? Will Jones be a situational nickel player? We know Scandrick is going to start outside, but in the nickel, would they move him inside and put Jones outside? Morris Claiborne has an uphill battle to start, but it’ll be interesting to see if he even participates in camp. For me the train has left on Claiborne, so anything he does or doesn’t do won’t surprise me.

What if Tyler Patmon or Corey play well enough to lock up a nickel corner, plus Scandrick and Carr are locked in at CB? The luxury the Cowboys have with Jones is his versatility, so if the Cowboys look good at the corners, the Cowboys may take a look at Jones at Safety. To me, Wilcox is in a critical point on the roster, if he has plateaued the Cowboys need to upgrade the position and Jones could get a look there.

–Wide Receivers/KR

We know Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley are locked in, but everything else is up for grabs in my opinion. The Cowboys invested a 5th rounder on Devin Street in 2014, so he’ll need to show something in this camp – a marked improvement. I wonder if the Cowboys will carry five or six receivers. Let’s say Street looks improved and becomes the #4 WR, that would leave one or two more slots max at WR. The guys to watch are Lucky Whitehead and Deontay Greenberry, both are undrafted rookies. It could mirror 2006 when the Cowboys had Sam Hurd and Miles Austin, both undrafted and both were contributors on special teams and in the return game. Could history repeat itself for any of this year’s rookies?

What if Whitehead or Greenberry look better than Devin Street? If they look better than Street, then the Cowboys will have a hard choice to make once the cuts come up. Where Street should have the upper hand is with the playbook, which could help him separate himself with solid preseason tape. We’ve seen it every year where a player is awesome in training camp, but fizzles in the preseason. It’ll come down to who studies the best and makes the least mistakes ultimately.

–Defensive Tackle

Ah yes, the position that every mock draft wants us to draft in the first round every year. What the mock drafters don’t know is that Rod Marinelli has the guys he trusts to execute his 1-tech and 3-tech positions. The Cowboys have starter depth with Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain, and Nick Hayden. Where the conversation gets interesting is around the young guns like Ken Bishop, Davon Coleman, and Chris Whaley. I like the depth here, but want to see more uptick from them, I’m still high on Coleman and hope he can put in a solid camp.

What if Crawford has a solid training camp? I believe the Cowboys are weighing their options on Crawford, but if he has a crazy camp and looks even more improved, then it’ll be time to look at a possible extension before the season starts. If a new deal is not given to Crawford before the season, we’ll see another Murray situation where he played himself out of our price range. At the same time, I’m not looking to break the bank on Crawford, but at a reasonable price it’ll be great for the team moving forward and one less need next year.

–Quarterbacks

Tony Romo is the man, but the Cowboys have some pivotal decisions to make on Brandon Weeden and Dustin Vaughan. Weeden had a solid camp last year, but floundered when he had to get in some regular season game action and that’s not good if you’re a Cowboys fan. That being said, it’s make or break for Weeden. Vaughan is in the same boat, but I’m pulling for him to move ahead of Weeden, if he cannot unseat Weeden, then the Cowboys may be looking for the heir apparent for Romo in the 2016 draft.

What if Vaughan beats out Weeden? If Vaughan beats out Weeden, then it’s safe to say Weeden won’t be around after the final cuts, but the next question would be whether or not the Cowboys would have a #3 in mind. Would it be Jameill Showers or some other free agent.

–Defensive Ends

Greg Hardy is the premiere pass rusher on the team, and he’ll be available week 5 against the Cheatriots, but there’s still a chance he could be available week 3 if he appeals his suspension and wins. Either way, Hardy could be the catalyst needed to get this team over the hump. I’m not saying Hardy is the 2nd coming of Charles Haley, but his impact could mirror what Haley did for the Cowboys in 1992 and beyond. This team has plenty of young talent and DeMarcus Lawrence really came on at the end of last year ; and, with Randy Gregory in the mix, the Cowboys will have some legitimate pass rushing packages that will help get teams off the field on 3rd down. Ryan Russell is another rookie that will likely fill the role that Selvie manned, which means we’ll have pressure in waves. We know Jeremy Mincey is holding out of camp in search of a new deal, but the Cowboys have all the leverage here, and if Mincey isn’t going to participate, one of these other guys could bump him to the bench. I’m pretty sure Mincey will be back once the fines start hitting him.

What if the young defensive ends don’t get enough pressure in camp? No doubt, that would be somewhat alarming, but I feel the Cowboys like where they are at at DE this year with the players they have. After all, we have one the premiere defensive coaches in the league with Rod Marinelli, so I don’t expect any slackers to be out there on the field. However, if at the end of the day the pass rush looks a bit weak the Cowboys could look to free agency or a lower-tiered trade. We’ll see.

What camp battles are you looking forward to and what scenarios could you see playing out this year?

Here’s to a safe and great training camp for all the players! Let’s go Dallas!

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124513Breaking: Dez Bryant Agrees to New Contracthttp://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12444
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12444#commentsWed, 15 Jul 2015 19:13:02 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12444Signed, sealed, and delivered. The Cowboys have not had such a high profile re-signing of an elite player of Dez Bryant’s magnitude in a very long time. I’m talking about an elite player that had the potential to holdout and derail the team’s chances of success this year. Emmitt Smith’s 1993 holdout could be seen as the equivalent in regards to impact of the team’s wins and losses without the player.

With rumored threats of Dez missing games and even his tweet suggesting he would not show up for camp and possibly beyond, the Cowboys and his agents were able to come to a new contract that will make Dez a Cowboy for life.

Dez will be 27 this November, so the contract will take him to 32 by the time he finishes it out. The length of the contract is very smart.

The Cowboys can now head to camp with all their pieces in line and ready to rock and roll for the 2015 season.

Let’s go Dallas!

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124440Dez Bryant’s Latest Tweet Suggest Hold Out is Realhttp://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12442
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12442#commentsMon, 13 Jul 2015 19:18:57 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12442We are less than 48hrs away from finding out whether or not Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys will agree to a long-term deal. Rumors have been ramped up with speculation that says Dez called Stephen Jones personally about his intentions to hold out barring a new deal and then Jones denying such rumors.

Here’s Dez on Twitter which suggests he will not play football.

As much as I love football…on my beautiful babies.. I apologize #cowboynation but I will not be there if no deal #fact

That’s straight from the horses mouth per se. I don’t see this as a bluff. Dez and his agents have a plan in place and are willing to execute it if needed. The question the Cowboys have to ask themselves is whether or not they can sustain Dez missing games.

In 1993, Emmitt Smith held out for a better contract, and the Cowboys went 0-2 before they agreed to give Emmitt a raise. In this case, the Cowboys have the financial leverage, but not having Dez would stifle the offense without a doubt. Unlike the Emmitt holdout, Dez cannot holdout and come out of it with a new long-term deal. July 15th is a concrete date for all NFL teams with tagged players.

If a new deal is not done, then the player must play under the franchise tag and they must wait until the end of the year to start work on a long-term deal. Dez holding out would hit his own pockets as he’ll lose money, but it may be something he has already come to terms with doing as an act of protest, because that’s all it would be under the current rules. However, where a holdout could help Dez would be for 2016. Let’s say Dez holdouts out this year and the Cowboys lose a few games in his absence, then for 2016, the Cowboys could be less inclined at throwing another franchise tag at Dez if it means more losses to start the year in 2016.

I’m hoping the Cowboys are able to get a deal with Dez and not jeopardize any possible losses due to Dez sitting out.

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124421Breaking: Greg Hardy Suspension Reducedhttp://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12403
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12403#commentsFri, 10 Jul 2015 18:34:17 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12403Breaking News: Hardy’s suspension has been reduced to four games. He’ll be back for week 5 against the Patriots who will probably get Tom Brady back; either way, we’re going to make him look old. Get ready to crush people!

With Hardy’s suspension being reduced, the Cowboys contract continues to look better and better. Having Hardy back soon when give the Cowboys a needed boost in the pass rush. In the meantime, the pass rash rush will be coming from an ensemble of pass rushing talent the Cowboys have brought in over the past two draft classes.

I expect Randy Gregory, Ryan Russell and DeMarcus Lawrence to be the guys that will bring the rush on a regular basis. The crafty Jeremy Mincey will bring a solid pass rush too, I don’t expect to be any fall off from Mincey, like we saw from Selvie last year.

McClain came to the Cowboys last season on a trade, but his off field issues remained on the minds of many including myself. Fast forward to this offseason and the troubles reared their ugly heads yet again. You had his house fire ruled arson on Feb. 14, then Feb. 21 the NFL fined McClain four game checks after a third failure.

Playing uber conspiracy theory; but for me, I wonder if McClain purposely failed his fourth drug test knowing that he would in essence be playing for free for the first four games. McClain wasn’t going to do that, so he committed an error as he says which coincidentally matched the four game fine. Call me crazy or names or whatever, but that’s what I think happened.

The history supports this is not far fetched, but it is what it is and now we are out a MLB for the start of the season — great.

Like anything else, with one negative comes a positive and I feel the starting linebackers and shuffling is open for everyone. The one player we know will start for sure is Sean Lee, but now we have to wonder if he moves back to MLB or do we keep him at the weakside?

Where this will be interesting is if Lee remains at weakside and Hitchens plays the strongside. Would the door then open up for Damien Wilson?

OR

What if Lee plays MLB, Hitchens plays SLB, and Wilson plays WLB? Whatever combo of Lee and Hitchens you can think of, I think theres a chance Wilson could take one of the other open spots, whichever it may be. Wilson’s versatility gives him a legitimate chance at taking and spot and not look back.

Here are some thoughts on Wilson from Bryan Broaddus:

(Before the draft) Numbers might say that this Cowboys defense has enough linebackers already on the roster, but adding a player with the talent of Wilson makes a great deal of sense. Could see him playing both as the Mike and Will spots and being tough on special teams. Run-hit type of player that rarely misses a tackle. (DC.com)

And more from the recent OTAs:

Without Rolando McClain, Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens in the lineup,Jasper Brinkley and Damien Wilson were the Cowboys’ nickel linebackers. I’m a big fan of what Wilson can bring to this defense — not only against the run as a run-hit linebacker, but how he can match up in coverage. As an athlete, he is difficult for running backs to escape from. He has quickness and movement skills, which helps him in space. (DC.com)

Coach Eberflus was ecstatic when the Cowboys selected Wilson, he tested well and he’s shown improvement each day. With McClain out four games, it’ll be interesting to see if the linebackers are playing solid enough to keep him relegated to a backup.

The question will be whether or not McClain will stay clean between now and week 5. Another failed drug test would knock him out for the rest of the year and probably put a nail in the coffin for his career.

Eberflus is rebuilding his linebacker corps and you can bet we’ll see another LB drafted next draft.

Let’s go Dallas!

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124373Dez Bryant Voted #15 on NFL Network Top 100http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12435
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12435#commentsThu, 02 Jul 2015 01:30:46 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12435Dez Bryant was voted #15 amongst his peers according the NFL Network’s Top 100. Bryant “threw up the X” sixteen times last season, and widely considered unstoppable in the redzone. Bryant has experienced everything you can think of since he joined the league in 2010, but you’ve seen the progression on and off the field each season. To me this should be more than enough to feel Bryant is worthy of a bigtime deal.

2015 should be another stellar year for Dez. Let’s hope the Cowboys and Dez can come to terms on a new contract before the 15th.

Let’s go Dallas!

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124351Tony Romo Voted #34 on NFL Network Top 100http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12419
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12419#commentsThu, 18 Jun 2015 01:34:06 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12419Tony Romo was voted #34 amongst his peers according to NFL Network’s Top 100. Romo had one of his best seasons of his career last season with some clutch plays and his unmatched toughness. Romo played most of 2014 with a gimpy back and other ailments from start to finish and he was solid.

Romo passed Troy Aikman last season to become the Cowboys all-time leading passer in franchise history. All that is left is a Super Bowl ring and it’ll be icing on the cake.

The Cowboys had a taste of playoff football success last season, but the botched call in Lambeau left the Cowboys outside looking in, but the work is unfinished and you can feel these Cowboys are close — real close.

Let’s go Dallas!

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124195Tyron Smith Voted #36 on NFL Network Top 100http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12429
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12429#commentsThu, 18 Jun 2015 01:23:31 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12429At 24 years old, Tyron Smith has become one of the premier offensive tackles in the league and continues to improve each and every year. Smith has already tallied 2 Pro-Bowl nods and 1 All-Pro recognition under his belt. Smith’s peers voted him #36 on the NFL Network Top 100.

Smith was Jason Garrett’s first pick as Head Coach and what better way at building your roster than with a cornerstone player like Smith. Tony Romo loves him some Tyron Smith watching his blindside too.

Team Maul will be at it again this year.

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124293Two Key Players with Two Deadlines Approachinghttp://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12425
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12425#commentsSat, 13 Jun 2015 01:36:12 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12425The Cowboys could have some drama on their hands soon, and it’s primarily with Rolando McClain and Dez Bryant. One player wants to be a Cowboy for life and the other is essentially signed for a 1-yr “show me you want to be here” deal.

Today is was reported by Chris Mortenson that Bryant is willing to sit out the season opener if a long term deal is not reached by July 15th.

Mike Silver also confirmed the report from straight from Dez Bryant himself

For me, this is the business side of the NFL, and these shots over the bow are all part of the negotiating process. I’m not worried about this; however, I do see more of these reports potentially coming out before the July 15th deadline. Ultimately, the Cowboys and Dez will come to some agreement that will make Dez a Cowboy for life. Worst case, Dez signs the tender and he’ll play week 1. He cannot stay away from the field and teammates.

The concern that the Cowboys are more likely to face is with McClain and there’s mounting rumblings amongst fans that we could be on the verge of a McClain mental break down again. Fans wait him to be in Dallas, not Alabama, and they want to know he’s going to be at the minicamp, anything less will surely fuel the fire more.

We know McClain missed OTAs due to having his knee repaired, which is totally understandable. But now we’re going to see where this thing is heading. The Cowboys expect McClain to attend the mandatory minicamp which starts Tuesday, the 16th. Jason Garrett was asked during his press conference if McClain would attend minicamp and is answer was telling, but more evident if you watched the press conference. Watching Garrett’s press conferences as the head coach over the years he has a certain demeanor and certain way he vocalizes displeasure.

“Well, the minicamp is mandatory,” Garrett told reporters Wednesday afternoon. “It’s the only thing in the offseason that is mandatory, so it’s important for us to make sure that’s clear to everybody and express that to our players. There are some specific situations where things that you do in a mandatory fashion don’t always happen. You know players miss practice during the season for different reasons and those are mandatory. So we’ll work through the specific situations as we go. Rolando is doing a good job with his rehab, and we’ll see what his plans are for next week.” (NBCDFW)

When asked directly if McClain would show up next week, Garrett said, “Yeah, I don’t want to get into much more detail than that.” (ESPN, Archer)

If McClain does not attend minicamp he’ll be fined. McClain has already been fined four games for his latest failed drug test. There’s a legitimate concern and wonder where McClain is at mentally right now. Are we going to see another situation where he retires suddenly again? We’ll see where this goes next week.

The Cowboys have done a great job with McClain’s contract and have protections in place financially and on the field with the free agents and draft picks they have added in the offseason.

I want McClain in Dallas, he has a violent style that goes well with what the Cowboys are doing on defense. So for me, I’m hoping these little blips are nothing to worry about, but at the same time, nothing will surprise me if this situation goes south fast.

What do you think, are you concerned about either situation with Dez or Rolando?

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124257Byron Jones Has Agreed to Termshttp://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12422
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12422#commentsThu, 11 Jun 2015 22:18:31 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12422Byron Jones was the last remaining rookie that needed to be signed and the Cowboys announced the deal is done. Jones has looked the part in OTAs, and he’ll look to build on his work as he tries to crack into the starting lineup as a cornerback or at safety. Initial reports have been solid and the Cowboys will need him to contribute right away if this secondary wants to improve.

]]>http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=124220Poll: Who Will Play More Games — Sean Lee or Rolando McClain?http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12416
http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12416#commentsFri, 05 Jun 2015 18:24:57 +0000http://thedallascowboys.net/blog/?p=12416The Cowboys took a considerable hit to their linebackers corps this offseason when they lost Bruce Carter and Justin Durant in free agency. But questions still revolve around Sean Lee and Rolando McClain — can they be counted on during the season?

This is a fair question, and the Cowboys know this, which is why they have done their due diligence by stockpiling linebackers. The Cowboys added Keith Rivers and Jasper Brinkley in free agency as a starting point, but they also drafted Damien Wilson and Mark Nzeocha. The Cowboys also recently added free agent Kyle Knox as part of their plan to bolster their bodies at the position.

All these moves scream insurance policies for Sean Lee and Rolando McClain, and you cannot deny the history there for both players. Sean Lee has amassed too many missed games over his career; since his rookie year, he has missed 34 games. That equates to a little over two full seasons worth or games — incredible. Make no mistake, I’m a big fan of Lee, he’s a huge playmaker when he’s on the field, but you have to be on the field to help this team out, and the defense needs help.

We all know Rolando McClain’s deal and it’s something the Cowboys have been able to manage to a degree with smart contracts that protect the team financially. The Cowboys gave McClain a 1-yr deal this offseason and it could be the last one if there isn’t more consistency on and off the field.

McClain was recently cited by the NFL for failing a third drug test, meaning he was fined four games checks. Another failed test and McClain will face a mandated four game suspension. Like Lee, McClain has the blue-chip pedigree, but his various issues have kept him from the field and raised concerns on whether or not he can be trusted with a long term contract.

So, who do you think will play more games for the Cowboys this season? Take the poll!